Africa

The Hungarian who met and married a Ghanaian she met in a London judo hall is now competing for Ghana in the Olympics, writes Chris Matthews.

The BBC's Tulip Mazumdar returns to Sierra Leone to meet Ebola survivors and look at how well the country is equipped to handle future health crises.

By Hafiz Mohamed

After the acceptance of Sudan Call Alliance to sign the Road Map each of the four parties to the alliance came out with a scenario trying to sell that out to their constituency, instead of putting brave face for their retreat from their first position which denouncing it, and try to get the best out of it.

In the build up to the 8th August 2016 the date in which they supposed to sign there are many activities and moves to give the signing some sort of inclusivity and portrayed it as a national event, such as the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) on the 9th January 2005, as everyone knows there is no comparison.

I don't understand why all this fuss is about, it is just a signing of a road map not a framework agreement or an agreement which is going to immediately end Sudan multiple crises and elevate the suffering of millions of Sudanese people as life become untenable due to the failed policies of the National Congress Party (NCP).

The opposition groups with their two components civilian and military still have a long way to go in terms of negotiating the terms of their engagement in the National dialogue, the interim security arrangements and the terms of delivery of humanitarian assistances, for Darfur and the two areas, the political arrangement which supposed to lead to the final status of those areas.

Sudan call alliance wanted to turn its signing of the road map into a victory with big signing ceremony by inviting some national Sudanese figures to make it look as a national agreement but I don't think the signing deserve all that row, and doesn't worse it to spend all these amount of resources now, they better wait until they reach a final agreement and if it put Sudan in a pave to genuine peace and democratic transformation all Sudanese will celebrate with them.

The signing will take place on the 8th August but the hard work will start on the 9th with the negotiations of the terms of cessations of hostilities, delivery of humanitarian assistance and the monitoring mechanism between the government of Sudan (GoS)and Sudan People Liberation Army – North (SPLM-N), and that will not be an easy task taking into consideration their five years negotiations for delivery of humanitarian assistance and cessation of hostilities , many rounds of talks regarding the terms of the ceasefire failed that include the implementation of the tripartite agreement ( UN, AU and the Arab League) and the UN resolution 2046, disagreement over from where the assistance supposed to be delivered , as that prevented the two parties from reaching agreements denying millions of people from humanitarian assistance at the same time denying children the high needed vaccination.

The remaining question will still be, will the government accept an agreement in line with the terms of Switzerland 19th January 2002 cease fire agreement which managed to opened access for delivery of humanitarian assistance, allowed freedom of movement, people and trade at the same time established a joint monitoring mechanism (JMC) headed by Norwegian General.

The parallel tracks of the negotiations for the two areas and Darfur, will not be the easiest parts as GoS will insist on not giving any ground for a new negotiation on Darfur because according to them the Darfur Doha Peace Document (DDPD) has achieved its objectives and concluded the only offers they have for Darfuri armed movements is allocation of ministerial posts and some others positions, and that will not be acceptable for them.

With regards to the two areas negotiations in the last 5 years the chief negotiator of SPLM-N has wasted great opportunities to address the roots causes of the conflicts in the two areas instead he insisted on focusing the discussion on national issues, by signing the Road Map all the National Issues will be address through the National Dialogue, at the same time the road map already stated the ceilings for the negotiations of the two areas and I don't thinks that up to the expectations of the people of the Nuba mountains at least I can't tell about Blue Nile because I simply don't know.

The problem which has been deliberately created by SPLM-N leadership and led to the current state of mayhem because they insist on not consulting the people and trying to impose settlement through military orders that can only work temporary with the army but not with the people, ignoring other sectors of communities and trying to force through settlement which is not acceptable will not lead to sustainable peace. They are ignoring SPLM own practice, immediately after the signing of Machakos Protocol in July 2002, an all Nuba conference was held in Kuda South Kordofan state in October 2002 , attended not only by members of SPLM by civil society activists and communities leaders at the same time attended by the late Dr John Grang , at that conference people gave SPLM a mandate to negotiate on their behalf , but when it came to the two areas negotiations Dr John delegated the political leaders of the areas to negotiate the terms of the two areas protocols and promised to accept any outcome of that negotiation,, I think the process which SPLM leaders adopted in 2002-2004 regarding the two areas was correct and look more democratic even though many people from the Nuba mountains were not happy about the outcome. But since the start of the current war no single consultation is carried to the people of affected areas but even with senior members of the movement, everything is run by Arman selecting the majority of his advisers from outside these areas, and when senior members of the movement such as Ramdan Hassan, Ahmed Balga others voiced their concerns the got the sack.

I do understand that there is national dimension to the conflicts in Sudan peripheries, as the conflicts are centre-peripheries mainly created by the central political elites through deliberate policies of marginalisation, but SPLM-N policies of not allowing even leaders from these areas to voice their concern on issues which they carry arms to fight for will replicate and deepen the same problem instead of working towards resolving it.

The negotiations for the two areas within the road map must be assigned to SPLM-N leaders originate from the two areas with consultation with others people from their areas because at the end they supposed to oversee the implementation of any agreement in partnership with others in these states, and must not allow Arman to run the show, dictating his views on the people of these areas as that will waste other golden opportunity to address some of the concerns of these people , he can lead SPLM- N negotiations with others members of Sudan Call Alliance on issues related to national dialogue and its process. But insisting in imposing Arman on people specially from South Kordofan/ Nuba Mountains will be an insult to these people as they are well aware that the majority of the people in the Nuba mountains don't want him and that will have very serious ramification in the future.

The voice of the people of the Nuba mountains must be heard in this very critical juncture of their history at the time when half of the population either Internal Displaced People (IDPs) or refugees, collective effort is needed to rebuild the region from the shattered, destitution, prolong wars, marginalisation and discrimination.

The war has run its course and the case of fighting Khartoum from the Nuba mountains and making the people of these areas pay the price of change in national level is neither fair nor moral, as they need tenth of years to overcome the impacts of the last two wars. We hope the two parties to war sign a cessation of hostilities agreement at least to stop the killing, immediately after that we need to mobilise the people to build a wide civic coalition for activists, communities/tribal leaders, women, youth so they work together through civic struggle to restore their rights and rebuild the region from the ruins of the wars, learning from the 6 years of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) interim period (2005-11) which ended with more destructive war.

Hafiz Ismail Mohamed is CSOs activist and can be reach at: hafiz2502@hotmail.com

August 7, 2016 (JUBA) - African leaders of the East African regional bloc, IGAD, have issued a strong worded communiqué, calling on the United Nations and global community to extend support to end conflict in South Sudan. The also warned that a delay to act to avert a deteriorating humanitarian situation represents a security threat to countries in the region.

In the communiqué released in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, IGAD said its member states have been shouldering heavy burden.

“Underlines once again that the situation in South Sudan is a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability, and recognizes that the neighbouring countries have been shouldering the heavy burden of the conflict since its outbreak in December 2013, including continued and intensive flow of refugees, as well as proliferation of illicit small arms and weapons and instability,” reads the communique of the outcome of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the IGAD Plus held on 5th August 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The leaders pointed out the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, has the duty and moral responsibility to act decisively and swiftly in support of the IGAD and AU efforts with a view to bringing to an end the suffering of the people.

The meeting also condemned the "continuing obstruction of Ceasefire and Transitional
Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism - Monitoring and Verification
Teams (CTSAMM-MVTs) and UNMISS from implementing their tasks and
mandates".

It further called upon the Transitional Government of National Unity
(TGoNU) to issue the necessary orders to guarantee CTSAMM and UNMISS
freedom of movement and to respect the Status of Forces Agreement
between the Republic of South Sudan and UNMISS.

The South Sudanese government delegation was chaired by First Vice President Taban Deng Gai who informed the meet of his decision to resign in favour of the former FVP Riek Machar.

The meeting ''welcomes the gesture of H.E. General Taban Deng Ghai to step down with a view of returning to the status quo ante in line with the ARCSS for the sake of peace and stability in the Republic of South Sudan," said the statement.

The meeting was chaired by Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and current Chairperson of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government, and was attended by Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti; . Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan; Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.

Other prominent African leaders and personalities at the summit include Rwandan president Paul Kagame, Rachid Benlounes, representing the President of Algeria, Kettong Doradji, representing the President of Chad, Godfrey A.E. Odudigbo, representing the President of Nigeria and Ndumiso N. Ntshinga, representing the President of South Africa. Ellen Margrethe Loej, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General and the Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Festus G. Mogae, Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC); and Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Executive Secretary were among those who attended the high level summit on the situation in South Sudan.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government on Sunday has renewed its keenness to implement a gradual and smooth exit for the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

A UNAMID peacekeeper from from Burkina Fasso and based in Forobaranga, West Darfur, checks a map during a patrol to Tamar village. (Photo UNAMID/Albert González Farran)

Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Naem on Sunday has discussed with the Deputy Joint AU-UN Special Representative Jeremiah Mamabolo cooperation between Sudanese government and UNAMID.

In a press statement extended to Sudan Tribune, al-Naem expressed his government's keenness to continue to cooperate with UNAMID in all aspects including the implantation of a smooth and gradual exit strategy according to the mechanisms agreed upon.

For his part, Mamabolo has praised the continued cooperation between his mission and the Sudanese government particularly with regard to facilitating UNAMID's imports clearance procedures and visa issuance.

He expressed hope that peace will prevail in Darfur in light of the signing of the Roadmap Agreement for peace and dialogue brokered by the African Union.

Sudan, African Union and the United Nations since two years hold discussions on the UNAMID's exit from western Sudan. Khartoum says the security situation is stable and its efforts to curb the tribal violence have been successful.

But the UN proposed a limited and gradual withdrawal from some sectors saying the full exit should intervene after the signing of peace agreement with all the rebel groups and to ensure the protection of displaced civilians.

The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the western Sudan's region.

It is the world's second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

UN agencies say there are nearly 2.5 million displaced persons in Darfur, despite the signing of peace agreement in Doha in July 2011.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) on Saturday has elected its Politburo besides the secretariat of the Central Committee and reelected Mohamed Mukhtar al-Khatib as political secretary.

Sudanese Communist Party Political Secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib (ST Photo)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, SCP said the Central Committee has elected Mukhtar Abdalla as organizational secretary, al-Harith al-Toum as financial secretary, Al-Sir Babo as cultural secretary, Fathi al-Fadl as information secretary and official spokesperson and Mohi al-Din al-Galad as administrative secretary.

The statement added that the Central Committee also elected Siddig Youssef as political communication official, Salih Mahmoud as foreign relations official, Faiza Nugud as trade unions official, Hanadi al-Fadl as students official, Kamal al-Gizouli as writers bureau official, Sidgi Kaballo as economic bureau official and Masoud Ahmed al-Hassan as political secretary for Khartoum.

Sudanese Communist Party Political Secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib (ST Photo)

It pointed that the Central Committee has unanimously approved the final communiqué of the sixth convention following extensive discussions.

Last week, SCP held its sixth convention and elected a 41-member Central Committee besides 10 reserve members.

The statement further said the Central Committee will hold its next meeting early September.

The SCP was established in 1946 under the name of the “Anti Colonialism Front” and it was later known as the “Sudanese Movement for National Liberation” before its final name was adopted in 1956.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The outcome of the Addis Ababa summit of the heads of state and government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is “encouraging”, said the official spokesperson of the leader of the opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

Riek Machar, left, first vice president of the Republic of South Sudan, and Salva Kiir, the president, at the first meeting of the new transitional coalition government in Juba, South Sudan, in April, 2016 (Jason Patinkin/AP)

James Gatdet Dak, spokesperson for Riek Machar, Former First Vice President who was replaced two weeks ago in a controversial process rejected by IGAD, said the resolutions of the East African regional body could revive the “collapsing” peace agreement if implemented with speed.

“We welcome the fact that IGAD has not supported the illegal transitional leadership changes in Juba. Their resolution, although weak, expects Taban Deng Gai to step down. Whatever process that took place in the temporary absence of the legitimate First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, will be undone before he returns to Juba,” said James Gatdet Dak.

He also said all their ministers who were replaced illegally will be reinstated to their ministerial portfolios and the new ministers who were “sneaked in” will be removed.

He condemned the action by President Salva Kiir to replace SPLM-IO ministers “unilaterally per the recommendation of a defector, Gai, who is no longer a member of the SPLM-IO”, saying it was a serious violation of the Article 6.5 of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS).

The opposition leader's spokesman however commended the IGAD heads of state and government for resolving to deploy a third party force in the capital, Juba, saying this has been the position of the SPLM-IO leadership but which “President Kiir's faction was reluctant to accept it.”

PROTECTION OR INTERVENTION

While the government under President Kiir said it would accept a protection force, but not an intervention force, Machar's spokesperson, Dak, said there is no reason to quarrel over the terminologies as the two words mean the same thing.

He said as long as the government accepted a third party force whether by protection or intervention, adding the two practically carry out the same task.

“Protection force also means intervention force. You cannot protect leaders, officials, citizens or government's key installations without intervening. The two are interchangeable words where one cannot be applied without doing the other militarily,” Dak said.

“Foreign troops separating two rival national armies, even bodyguards, or protecting leaders and citizens by itself is an intervention,” he added.

He said officials of the government delegation who were “lectured” about the outcome of the summit did not tell the truth to the public in Juba about what actually transpired at the IGAD summit in Addis Ababa, adding that the chiefs of general staff of the armies in the region will visit Juba soon to make ground preparations for the deployment of the at least 14,000 strong force to take control.

He said President Kiir should now reverse his recent decrees by reinstating Machar and his ministers to their rightful positions per the peace agreement.

Dak also said the opposition forces will “optionally” be in a position to take control of Juba if President Kiir's faction will not comply with the IGAD resolutions.

He accused the government's forces of continuing with “suicide mission” offensives against their forces around Juba, saying the SPLA-IO forces have been moving closer to Juba “slowly but surely” from different directions as they defeat forces loyal to President Kiir.

He further claimed that Juba-Yei road and Juba-Mundri road as well as northwest of Juba around Terekeka have remained closed as their forces are in control on all these routes.

(ST)

Oscar Pistorius is treated in hospital for wrist injuries but his brother says reports the jailed athlete hurt himself intentionally are "completely untrue".

Kenya's anti-doping agency says it will investigate claims an athletics official offered to warn athletes about drug tests in return for money.

August 6, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – In an unexpected development, the opposition Future Forces of Change (FFC) Saturday boycotted the National Dialogue General Assembly to protest the organizers' refusal to give them the opportunity to address the consultative meeting.

FFC leaders at the launch ceremony held in Khartoum on 23 February 2016 (ST Photo)

The FFC which gathers some Islamist groups that splinted from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) are not part of the government sponsored dialogue but they held a series of meetings facilitated by the African Union mediation to prepare them to join a holistic process.

In a statement released Saturday evening, the alliance said they accepted to attend the General Assembly meeting after the emergence of new positive developments in support of an inclusive process.

“The Future Forces of Change agreed to attend the General Assembly with the understanding that it will have an opportunity to address the meeting to explain its position (...) and to express its perception on how to move the dialogue process forward".

Especially since the written invitation extended to the FFC has provided that the meeting is" a continuation of consultations over the upcoming period programme of the dialogue National," the group further stressed.

The FFC went to say they reached some organizers to confirm that they would be allowed to address the meeting as it was said in the invitation.

“But three hours before the beginning of the meeting they informed us that we can not address the meeting,” the group said.

So, the alliance decided not to attend the General Assembly "because it is not acceptable to attend a consultative meeting that will last for long hours without having the opportunity to speak".

However, the coalition reiterated its commitment to work with all the political forces including the governing parties and the 7+7 mechanism to achieve peace and democratic reforms.

The General Assembly will hold its next meeting next October to adopt the final resolution of the internal dialogue process.

The FFC groups, are National Forces Alliance (NFA), National Forces of Change (NFC) and National Unity Parties (NUPs). Some members of these groups, like Reform Now Movement (RNM) and Just Peace Forum (JFM), were part of the national dialogue process.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (JUBA) - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it had started responding to the growing food security emergency causing malnutrition in children in both rural and urban areas of, a month after violence broke out in South Sudan.

Acute food insecurity Feb- Sept 2016 (Photo credit: FEWS NET)

“The situation in South Sudan is catastrophic, and even more so for children,” UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said in a statement on Friday.

This year, UNICEF has reportedly treated 120,000 children under age five for severe malnutrition, a figure higher than what the agency had in the same period last year.

“Initially, UNICEF had been planning to provide support to 166,000 children in 2016, but that figure has been revised to more than 250, 000,” the official said.

Last month, clashes between South Sudan's rival forces in the capital, Juba displaced over 40,000 civilians, the world body said.

Seven out of the country's 10 states have reached the malnutrition-rate-emergency threshold of 15 per cent, while in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, the malnutrition rate stands at 33 per cent, noted Boulierac.

According to agency, a sharp rise in malnutrition in urban areas, including Juba, where the rates of children admitted for malnutrition to UNICEF-supported Al-Sabbah children's hospitals were some 20% higher in the first six months of 2016 than for the same period last year.

The official, in the statement, also cited the country's inflation rate as one of the main reasons for the high increase, explaining that it made basic household staples too expensive for many families.

He, however, said although UNICEF could not provide the numbers of children dying from starvation, “one quarter of a million children in South Sudan are facing severe malnutrition.”

Inaccessibility of roads due to the ongoing conflict has further limited UNICEF's ability to respond in the most urgent cases, leaving the more expensive option of air transport to deliver supplies, said Boulierac.

“Due to insecurity and the rainy season, UNICEF staffs in South Sudan are unable to be fully mobile and deliver their goods and services,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, of the $154.5 million UNICEF needs for South Sudan in 2016, the agency has reportedly received only $52 million to assist with water and sanitation, child support services, nutrition, health and education.

More than 900,000 children, Boulierac further disclosed, have been displaced in the country, which – with 1.8 million children, or 51 per cent of school-age youngsters out of school – also had the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world.

“An estimated 16,000 children had been recruited by armed groups, and there were concerns that the renewed violence would lead to a further expansion of that practice,” he explained.

Meanwhile the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said a total of 917, 418 South Sudanese refugees have been displaced, mostly in Uganda.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (KAMPALA) – Members of South Sudan's armed opposition youth chapter in Uganda have dismissed their chairman for allegedly joining Taban Deng Gai.

Buay Keake, the former chairman of the SPLM-IO youth in Uganda (ST)

The spokesperson for the youth chapter, Magok Chuol told Sudan Tribune that the decision to dismiss Buay Keake Turoal was reached during a meeting in Kampala on Saturday.

Keake was nominated among the new armed opposition lawmakers, a move that did not go well with the youth.

“SPLM-IO in Uganda and their supporters would like to bring to the attention of the general public that our office strongly condemns the conspiracy plan against us by our member," said Chuol.

"We would like to remind you to distance yourself from Keake who is a supporter of Taban Deng Gai," he added.

He said the former chairman even failed to honour an emergency meeting conducted by the youth members, prompting them to replace him with Stephen Waat Bipal.

According to the armed opposition youth official, President Salva Kiir's decision to replace Riek Machar with Gai contravened the accord that ended South Sudan's conflict.

Meanwhile, Bipal confirmed that they fired Keake from the helm after he failed to explain his recent appointment as MP, adding their members fully support Machar.

Keake was unable to be reached, despite several attempts by Sudan Tribune.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), has strongly denied United Nations preliminary report that squarely blamed government forces and allied militia of massive rape and targeted killing in the capital, Juba.

A woman prepares food as displaced women, men and children gather, in Juba, South Sudan at the UN compound in Tomping area, Tuesday, July 12, 2016 (AP Photo)

SPLA spokesman Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said the UN report is a complete “make-up.”

“There is no single truth in that document. It is a mere accusation to spoil the image of the SPLA,” said Koang, speaking by phone on Friday.

The UN report alleged targeting of Nuer ethnic community in Juba during the fighting last month. SPLM in Opposition leader, Riek Machar, is a Nuer, the second largest group after President Salva Kiir's Dinka tribe.

Koang himself a Nuer, however admitted that the SPLA have arrested 19 soldiers on charges of looting, loitering and other indiscipline behaviours during and after the July 7-11 street battle between the rival SPLA forces.

The clashes dislodged SPLM-IO leader Machar and his small number of troops from his base in Juba and his whereabouts remain unknown for three weeks.

He told international media by phone from his hiding that a third force proposed by regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and endorsed by the African Union (AU) should first arrive to Juba before his return.

President Kiir has rejected additional foreign force, telling a Kenyan television this week that UN peacekeepers in the country can protect Machar on his arrival to Juba.

IGAD member states are meeting in Addis Ababa today to decide on the next course of action.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (WAU) - Wau state St. Mark's Centre of Coptic Orthodox church said its facility for water projects that has been run by the church in Wau town was ransacked this week by thieves.

Bishop Yusuf Ramadan told the press on Thursday in Wau that the church facility has recently experiencing targeted looting incidents since violence erupted in the town last month.

He said that building comprises of a preaching centre and one nursery school as well as one primary school at Bazia residential area in Wau town, were also among the ransacked facilities.

“We have lost properities amounted to 200,000 SSP including solar power panels for water projects,” he said.

He added that the incident has forced them to halt all developmental projects which were expected to be conducted in Wau.

“As per now, we are calling on state relevant authorities to impart us a strong security for our developmental projects to continue in Wau and all over the country,” he said.

Nobody has been apprehended for the crime.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadig al-Mahdi has pledged to launch the largest political coalition to achieve comprehensive peace and full democratic transformation in Sudan.

Malik Agar, SRF leader (L) and Sadiq al-Mahdi NUP president shake hands after the signing of Paris Declaration on 8 August 2014 (ST Photo)

In a message he titled “Spring Flower”, al-Mahdi described the upcoming signing of the Roadmap Agreement by the Sudan Call forces as “national ceremony”, saying the invitation was extended to a large number of national figures to attend the event.

Last March, the Sudanese government signed a Roadmap Agreement for peace and dialogue proposed by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

Sudan Call groups rejected the Roadmap saying it excludes the other opposition groups, didn't address some confidence building measures like political freedoms and release of political detainees and prisoners.

Following five months of reluctance, the Sudan Call forces decided to sign the Roadmap, saying its reservations on the peace documents have been met.
The signing ceremony is expected to take place in Addis Ababa on August 8th.

Al-Mahdi said although the government-led dialogue was not comprehensive but it has achieved some items of the national agenda advocated by the opposition, pointing the Roadmap would pave the way for holding an inclusive dialogue to achieve peace, democratic transformation and the national constitutional conference.

He said that issues pertaining to ending the war should be negotiated abroad between the government and the rebel groups while agenda of the peace agreement must be discussed inside Sudan after implementing the confidence-building measures.

“This is a consensual approach to establish a new regime that is capable of building the nation under the shadow of the just and comprehensive peace and the full democratic transformation” he said.

He pointed that they agreed to endorse the Roadmap in order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, saying they intend to make the signing event a national celebration with the participation of several national figures.

The NUP leader added that Sudan is at crossroads, saying the Sudanese people have a rich heritage of achieving consensus during the major historical events.

He pointed to the consensus that has been achieved during the independence battle against the British rule, mentioning the popular uprisings of October 1964 and April 1985.

Al-Mahdi addressed the holdout opposition who refused to sign the Roadmap, saying most of the conflicts in the world during the twentieth century have been resolved through dialogue.

It is noteworthy that some parties within the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF) including the Sudanese Communist Party, Arab Ba'ath Party (ABP), the Unified Democratic Unionist Party and the Nasserite Socialist Party refuse to endorse the peace plan, saying it wouldn't make a real change in the structure of the regime.

He stressed if they failed to achieve the national agenda through dialogue, they would resort to the popular uprising.

The veteran leader further underscored that their goal is to establish the largest political coalition in order to achieve comprehensive and just peace and full democratic transformation.

He said the agreement among Sudanese people on issues of peace, governance and constitution would yield foreign benefits including the lift of sanctions, cancelling the external debt and dealing positively with the resolution of the UN Security Council.

Al-Mahdi called on the Sudanese people to support the national dialogue and its requirements, saying the legitimate national objectives including ending the war and building peace, establishing the good governance and achieving development and social justice would be accomplished whatever the means.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (JUBA) - Former First Vice-President of South Sudan Riek Machar Saturday has welcomed the East African block decision to send a regional force to his country but expressed fear that President Salva Kiir could reject the idea
.
Leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Friday decided to send a regional force to South Sudan to protect civilians and to back the reinstatement of Riek Machar as First Vice President to ensure the implementation of a peace agreement they brokered in August last year.

Machar's spokesman Goi Jooyul Yol on Saturday told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Addis Ababa that formation of the IGAD force could take many months and Kiir may eventually decline to accept it.

He added that they “welcome the IGAD decision but the devil is in the detail”, pointing that the nature, size and details of deployment need to be discussed with Juba.
“What would this force do? We will have to wait and see,” he said.

IGAD leaders called on Machar to return to Juba and underscored that the newly appointed First Vice President Taban Deng Gai is ready to relinquish his position if he accepts their call.

However, Jooyul Yol stressed that Machar wants Gai to offer his resignation before he return to Juba.

Last month, fighting erupted in South Sudan's capital Juba between followers of President Kiir and Machar, the former rebel leader who became first Vice- President under a deal to end a two-year civil war.

The violence, which has killed hundreds of people, broke out as the world's newest nation prepared to mark five years of independence from Sudan on July 9.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (BOR) - At least five butcher men are now behind bars after they were arrested in Bor this week, following the protest waged by the butcher men against the reduction of meat prices by the Municipality council.

A trader sells items to customers in Bor town March 26, 2015 (ST)

The mayor of Bor town, Akim Ajieth, passed the order, reducing the price per kilogram of meat previously sold between South Sudanese pounds (SSP)110 and SSP120 to SSP40 and SSP50 respectively in Bor.

On Wednesday, a day after the order was passed, all the slaughtering houses did not work, probably in rejection of the order, saying the price cut by the government would make them lose much of the money they had spent on the heads of cattle they already bought.

But the office of the mayor was allegedly said to have ordered the arrest of the butcher men in which five were jailed.

Kuer Ajak told the press that his group, negotiated with the mayor to give them time to finish selling their current number of livestock waiting to be slaughtered, after which the prices would be reduced, but their request was turned down.

“Five of our members were arrested, jailed and their trading licenses were confiscated from them. They were fined a total of SSP10,000. This was not a good move,” Ajak told the media in Bor on Thursday.

The chairperson of the meat market, Alier Yuot, who spoke while in the police cell said that they didn't know why most of them were arrested.

“I thought that the government belongs to us, I didn't know why I am arrested with four people. What I told him [the Mayor] was that, I told him that cows are very expensive and they [cows] are not bought from here, they are being brought from different areas,” he said.

He said their prices were normal compared to the high cost they spent on buying the cattle from Duk and Twic East counties.

This week, authorities of Bor municipality council issued an order to reduce prices on fish and meat in the market of Bor.

Bor's Mayor Akim Ajieth Buny said those arrested had not respected the provisional order. Ajieth said those who refused to implement the provisional order would lose their job licenses.

“Only five these are people who refuse to comply with our order, they refuse to comply with our order so we have decided to put them in the cell and then today they will answer their charges then after that we will be able to withdraw the license from them and therefore they will no be longer with us,” he said.

More butcher men who resumed work on Thursday and Friday were said to be have been asked to pay a fine ranging from SSP300 to SSP500 for the delay that caused when they refused to operate on Wednesday and Thursday.

(ST)

August 6 ,2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan president Salva Kiir has accepted the deployment of additional foreign troops from regional countries help protect and boost the fighting capacity of the United Nations mission as it defends civilians at risk of extreme violence.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

Addressing reporters on arrival from Ethiopia on Saturday, South Sudan's information minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the force will have limited roles.

"We accepted the force that will protect civilians in UNMISS, international NGOs and international facilities, not more than that," said Makuei who attended the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) heads of states summit.

The regional troops, IGAD said in a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, will take control of Juba and vital installations as well as fighting, disarming and neutralize any South Sudanese forces igniting violence in the capital and around the country.

Sources within the presidency told Sudan Tribune that government resolved to accept the deployment of additional foreign troops in the country in compliance with the outcome of an ordinary summit of heads of state and governments in Addis Ababa.

“The government and the president have accepted the outcome of the summit of the IGAD heads of state and government held yesterday in Addis Ababa. The summit has now clarified the mandate of the new troops, which was not the case in the previous messages which our people were getting," a presidential source told this publication.

"The previous messages were confusing and creating panics to the society. The messages were vague the lacked clarity but now it is clear. It will now be a protection force, not an intervention force”, added the official.

The official said the South Sudanese leader and the government was now waiting for the final communique on the outcome of the regional summit and the briefing from the government delegation, which traveled to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Another senior government official separately said the summit resolved to send troops from neigbouring countries in the region under the United Nations with clear mandate.

"The outcome is not really bad, though the details are yet out. But it has been agreed at the summit that the mandate of the regional force will be clearly stated with participation of the government. Discussions have been concluded. It is now the technical committee of the IGAD secretariat which is left to work out the details and come out with the communique. I don't know when it will be released but it may come out today," the source said.

He added, "But what is clear is that the mandate of this new force is that it will have to set a buffer zone between the warring parties as defined by peace agreement. It will also be mandated to respond to any side intending to violate the [peace] agreement.

Another very important mandate, the official further explained, is that this force will protect civilians at risk of danger by the activities of the two warring parties. It will have a role to play in reforming security sector by separating the military from politics.

"This is what the summit agreed on and government was happy with the outcome," he stressed.

(ST)

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